The History of Slots and Slot Machines

The history of slot machines is very rich. Modern slot machine and online slot games have little in common with the first slots. However, the main goal of the game remains the same - the player must get a winning combination from symbols on the reels to get paid.

The first slot machine was the poker machine invented by by the Sittman and Pitt company in 1891 in Brooklyn, New York. The five drums inside these machine held ten cards each. It became incredibly popular for a short period of time and most bars in New York soon had these machines. In order to play this machine one had to insert a nickel, pull the lever and wait until the drums stop spinning. The machine wasn't able to pay out the winnings so if the winner had a good poker hand he received a prize in the form of cigars, drinks, etc.

The famous one-armed bandits were invented in mid-1890's by Charles Fey, a mechanic from San Francisco. He is often mentioned as the "Thomas Edison of Slot Machines" and the "Father of Slots". According to various historical sources he invented the first slot machine in 1894 and the second (also known as 4-11-44) in 1895. Those machines were known as One-armed Bandits and has 3 spinning and a lever. His inventions became very popular and he spent the rest of his life developing slot machines.

The first slot machine that have been able to pay out automatically was developed by Charles Fey in 1898. The machine with 3 spinning reels became a standard and an example upon which all future slot machines were based. The machine had five different symbols - Liberty Bell, Horse Shoe, Spades, Diamonds and Hearts. The game was titled Liberty Bell, for it's Liberty Bell symbol. The highest payout of 10 nickels, a jackpot, was awarded for 3 Liberty Bell symbols. These machine were so popular that even after a ban of slot machines in some states Fey continued to receive orders. Later, many manufacturers of slot machines in the United States copied Fey's 3-reel machine. In 1907 Herbert Mills, a slots manufacturer from Chicago developed a slot machine called the Operator Bell.

The next stage in the history of slot machines began after co-operation with Bell-Fruit Gum Company. The Fruit Machines with the fruit symbols (Cherries, Oranges, Watermelons, Apples and Bars) on the reels instead of the card symbols were introduced in 1912. The early logo of Bell-Fruit Gum Company has been later transformed into the BAR symbol. The Fruit Machine paid out fruit flavored gums instead of cigars and drinks. Initially the fruit gums payouts were a way to avoid anti-gambling laws which prohibiting cash rewards. At that date all slot machines were considered to be vending machines and not gambling machines. Even women and children were allowed to played slots. However, in 1919 the Senate passed the Volstead Act (National Prohibition Act) which had a great impact on gambling because most slot machines were placed in bars and saloons.

The years between 1919 and 1930 became the "Golden Age of Slots". During that time slot machines became incredibly popular in the United States. Despite numbers bans and anti-gambling laws slot machines survived, changed and improved.

The very first electromechanical slot machine called Money Honey was introduced in 1964. This machine was able to hold up to 500 coins and pay winnings automatically. The era of electronic games became with the introduction of this machine. Soon, the lever which has been an integral part of slot machine for many years was used for decoration only.

The first slot machines with the bonus game on the second screen appeared in 1996. They were called Reel'em and it was the famous American amusement and electronic gaming company WMS Industries Inc who introduced them.

Today, there are many various slot machines at either land based or online casinos. Slot machines and online slot games have different number of paylines, reels, winning combinations and differ by the featured symbols, bonuses and bonus games.